Tuesday, August 1

Matthew McConaughey Changes His "Brand"

In my personal branding book, The Personal Experience Effect, I use celebrities as emblematic of how to create a personal brand. Celebrities, after all, are really businesses and the roles they choose and the behaviors they exhibit all shape the public's perception of them. Those perceptions shape their brand and the good marketers make sure those perceptions are purposeful.

Successful celebrities treat themselves as brands. Meryl Streep. George Clooney. Madonna. All of these celebrities instantly project imagery in our mind as the kind of entertainment they offer. We instantly recognize their brand, whether we are brand fans or not. We buy their "products" if we think they will give us value. Entertainment value, in this case.

In a recent article, I was happy to see Matthew McConaughey describe himself this way, saying that he needs to change his brand from "rom-com" hunk to "serious" actor. He's trying to shape perceptions of who he is. He choosing roles based on what he wants his brand to be.

Smart thinking.

So too should you do the same with your brand. Make sure people's perceptions of who you are match what you want them to be. Make sure your choices and your behaviors are in line with the kind of brand you want to be. Be purposeful!